MAYOR Carmelo "Pogi" Lazatin, Jr. said that the city government here is set to kick-off a house-to-house administration of deworming to children aged seven below throughout the 33 barangays starting next week.
This is also in preparation for the giving of Vitamin A supplements to the kids on July 4.
For the second year, two mascots named Laz and Tin -- the brainchild of Mayor Lazatin -- will also be present to embody the "Batang Angeleño, malusog at masigla."
Lazatin said this is to continue the campaign of the city government against malnutrition, which was also echoed by City Health Officer Dr. Verona Guevarra.
This project has been implemented since Lazatin took office in 2019.
Guevarra shared that one of the priority aims of Lazatin is to eradicate or reduce nutritional deficiencies.
"Actually, lahat naman po ay eligible to receive deworming, pero ang focus po ng gagawin natin bara-barangay ay mga bata. Layunin ng programa ay patuloy na mabawasan ang tendency ng malnutrition na maaaring magkaroon ng epekto sa mental capacity," Guevarra furthered. “Yung parasitism din kasi ay naglelead into malnutrition.”
To avoid complications, Guevarra said, the patient should not be vomiting or having diarrhea in order to assure the full effect of the medicine.
Guevarra said myths that the patient should not undergo deworming when it is raining or hot is false, as deworming may be conducted anytime as long as the patient is not experiencing the symptoms first mentioned.
Medicine to be distributed for deworming is in chewable form of albendazole, she says.
City Nutrition Officer-in-Charge Jermaine Jam Aguila also furthered that said beneficiaries for the deworming were already identified per household by Barangay Nutrition Scholars and Barangay Population Workers.
Aguila mentioned the house-to-house visit is part of the campaign promise of Mayor Lazatin to get services right at the doorsteps of Angeleños.
The Hotels and Restaurants Association in Pampanga will also donate 4,000 nutribuns during the kick off.
Lazatin will also distribute his Pusong Mamon malunggay bun.
To recall, 12,297 kids were given deworming vaccine in 2021. (PR/Angeles City Information Office)